The year 2020 has caused major chaos to students and staff all over the world. COVID-19 has changed many plans and the things people would do on a normal daily basis. Students and staff at schools should go back to staggered schedules, masks should be mandatory in all phases, and COVID-19 tests should be mandatory to help slow the spread of this disease.

Students and faculty should go back to staggered schedules (every other day) so that there aren’t as many kids piled up in a school at one time. Last Friday, three hundred students were out sick with this virus, whereas before, not as many people were being quarantined because there weren’t this many students in the building at the same time. More and more people are getting quarantined everyday and going back to school every other day would slow this number down. 

Masks should be mandatory in all four phases for all students and staff. Although masks are mandatory in phases one and two, I feel masks should be mandatory in all phases because people can be asymptomatic and not know they are carrying the virus and spread it to others. The mask prevents you from spreading it to someone else around you. Wearing a mask can help prevent the number of cases from rising.

In addition, COVID-19 testing should be mandatory for all students that get quarantined before they are able to come back to school. Each student’s test should be required to be negative before they can return to school. Any person can be asymptomatic, think they are okay, come back to school, and spread the disease without being aware of it. Some students even believe they can come back to school while still being sick because their “quarantine days are up” and “that’s when the school said to come back.” Although the testing may not be fun, it should be mandatory when it comes to slowing the spread of COVID-19.

Both students and staff know the risks they’re taking going to school during these difficult times, but not everyone can choose to do online classes. To help prevent this situation from getting worse, schools should go back to staggered schedules, masks should be mandatory during all phases, and testing should be mandatory before a student or staff member can return to school after being quarantined.